Traffic-post



P. HANNAGAN.

TRAFFIC POST.

APPucArlon mso nic. 22. 191e.

1,341,31 8. Panted May 25, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. HANNAGAN.

TRAFFIC POST.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22| 11916.

i SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fzvenffor.' 12 fogne Patented May 25, 1920.

P. HANNAGA'N. TRAFFIC POST.

`APPLmATloN man ofc. 22. 191s.

1,341,318. Patented May25,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- P. HANNAGAN. TRAFFIC POST.

APPucmon mm 11:11.22. 191s.

Patented May 25,1920.,

4 SHEETS-SHET 4 l n ver2 1507? Uit/266.5.

UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL HANNAGAN, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS; CATHERINE T. HANNAGAN ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID PAUL HANNAG-AN, DECEASED.

TRAFFIC-POST.

Application led December 22, 1916.

Y 'o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL HANNAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex, State ot' lvl'assachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trame-Posts, of which the following,- is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying.)r drawings.

The invention comprises Vvarious improve ments in trahie-posts or semaphores employed for directing and controlling vehicular and other trafiic' on streets, driveways, etc. It provides an` improved post that is so constructed that when run down by a vehicle it will yield without breakage so as to permit of the passage of the vehicle over it, and after the vehicle has passed on will erect itself into its working position again. It also provides a trafilepost or semaphore which when not required to occupy .its working position, may be lifted up, turned upside down, and lowered beneath the surrounding surface out of the way, the construction preferably being' such that the opening into which the post or semaphore is thus lowered is closed by a member which at such time serves as a cover for the said opening, in addition to serving' as a base for the post when the latter occupies its working position.

Embodiments o1' the features of the in-` vention are shown in the drawings, in which latter,-

F1gure 1 shows 1n elevation one of such embodiments, and represents in section the roadway in which it is planted, the post beinef in working position.

Fig. 2 is a view showingr the said em-k bodiment with one side of the postmember removed, and the lower end of the postmember as well as the base-member, in vertical section.

Fig. Q is a plan of the foot of the post shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 21 'is a view in section on line 2b, 2b, of Fig. 2a.

Figi. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the post turned upside down and housed below the surface of the roadway.

Fig'. 4 is aside elevation of the base member.

Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view thereof.

Specication of Letters' Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

serial No. 138,447.

Fig. 7 ,is a view in vertical section on lines 7, 7, of Figs. f1, 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a view in horizontal section on line S, 8, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a View showing the construction., etc., when the working position of a traiiicpost `is over a subway, pipes, etc., approaching closely to the surface of the roadway.

Fig. 10 is a sectional relgiresentation of the construction of a portable traffic-post adapted to be temporarily placed in any required position and to be shifted at will.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a construction employing a weight instead of a spring to cause the post to right or erect itself. i

Fig. 13 shows a modilied construction provided with lamps.

Figpl is a sectional view of the basemember of Fig. 13, with its lamp.

l-lavingr reference to the drawings;-

Each of the different forms of e1nbodiment of my invention represented herein comprises a post-member, a base-member combined with one end of the post-member, and a socketemember which receives the said base-member.

ln Figs. 1 to S, the postmember 1 is mounted by its lower end or foot upon the base-member 2, and the said base-member occupies and fits a seat within the socketmember In this embodiment of the invention, as in certain others, the socketmember is in the form of a shell or pipe and is sunk in a vertical or upright position in the roadwayrl, with its upper end flush with the surface of the roadway. The

vbottom end of the socket-member preferably is open to provide for drainage. The seat in the upper end ot the socket-mrunber is furnished with an internal shoulder 5 on which the basemelnber Q rests, and by which the base-member and post are supported vertically. The wall of the seat above the shoulder affords lateral support to the base-member, the vertical extent of the contact between .the exterior bearingsurface of the base-member and the said wall beingr sufficient to prevent the basemember from tipping. The post is combined with the base-member in a manner land by means providinflr for holding the post normally upright upon the basednember, but providing; in addition for tippingr or tilting of the post relative to the basemember while the base-member remains in normal position in its seat in the top of the socket-member. In this embodiment the base-member is furnished with a central upwardly tapering or rounded boss 6, around the base of which is formed a horizontal shoulder 7, around which in turn a groove `S is formed in the top of the basemember, the base-member being provided with a raised rim 9 outside the said groove. The lower end of the post extends down around the said boss, and its foot 10 rests upon the shoulder 7, whereby the post is supported vertically upon the base-member. rIhe outer margin of the foot projects over the groove S and its within the raised rim 9, which rim serves to restrain the foot from lateral movement upon the base-member. The foot is held by yielding force in firm contact with the shoulder 7, and the post thereby maintained in upright or working position. In this instance this is accomplished by means of a contracting spiral spring 11, the upper end of which is engaged with an elevated interior bridgepiece 12 within the post, while the lower end of the spring is engaged with the basemember by means of'a 'screw-eye or eyebolt 13 that is combined with the center of the boss of said base-member. I find the best results in causing the post to recover its upright position are secured by locating the point of engagement of the lower end of the spring with 'the base-piece at a point somewhat elevated relative to the level at which the foot of the post rests upon shoulder 7.

To save material and reduce weight, the base-member is made hollow, with openings 6@L in the upper part of its shell to give access to the nut on the lower end of the screw-eye' or eye bolt 13; also with vertical drainage holes 8a, 8a, leading from groove 8 to the interior of the shell; and also with lateral drainage openings 8b, Sb, in the lower part of the shell.

The body of the post may be of any approved shape in crosssection, usually square as in the drawings. Its construction may varyv in practice, but usually consists ot a hollow shell, which may be of sheet-metal. The foot 10 may be an integral portion of the said body, but usually is a separate piece formed with an upwardly-projecting'rim or series of lugs to which the lower end of the post-body is Jfastened.

' In use, should a vehicle run against the post, the spring will yield and allow the post to be pressed over. As the pest gives way under the pressure, the foot will rock at one side of the center upon the inner edge of the groove 8, the margin of the toot adjacent the point on which the foot rocks or pivots upon the said edge dipping into the groove until said margin bears against the inner wall of the groove. The sai d inner wall will limit the extent oi' inward slip ping of the foot as the swinging movement is continued, and the post will simply swing, as upon a pvot, upon the portion of the foot which bottoms in the groove and bears against the inner wall of the groove, stretching the spring in so doing and thereby increasing the tension of the spring. As soon as the post is vreleased from the pressure which carried it away from its normal working position, the spring will operate to swing the post reversely into an erect position again. The tapered or rounded shape of the boss 6 upon the base-member will center the foot of the post, and prevent any lat eral displacement of the foot relative to the base-member as the post rises to the normal working position.

When it is desired to house the post as in Fig. 3, it is lifted bodily upward so as to withdraw the base-member from the seat therefor in the socket-member. Then the post is turned upside down, and is passed downward within the socket-member until the raised rim 9 of the base-member comes to rest upon the internal shoulder of the socket-member.

To permit the post to be thus housed, the shell or pipe of the socket-member is made long enough interiorly to accommodate the length of the post. The base-member fills the upper portion of the socketemember in this inverted position thereof, and its bottom surface, now presented on top, is flush with the adjoining surface of the roadway. A ring 14 connected loosely with the said bottom-surface serves as a convenient handhold in lowering the inverted post and basemember into place within the socketanclnber, and in withdrawing them preliminar \Y to reinstating the post in its normal workmg position.

In some locations where the employment ot a traffic-post is desirable, it is not feasible to plant therein a socket-member of a length or depth suiiicient to provide for the housing of the inverted post and base-member. The roof of a subway, or of a sewer or some other structure, may come too close to the surface, or pipes or other obstructions may be in the way. Fig. 9 illustrates one way in which I enable the post to be employed in such locations, and to be conveniently housed when desired. I provide a shallow socket-member 3, which I embed at the point where the post should stand when in use, and at .some convenient adjacent point where there is no obstacle to the planting of a socket-member sufliciently long or deep to accommodate the inverted post I plant a socket-member 3 like that of Figs. 1 to 3. The base-member 2 of the post its the two socket-members 3 and 3 interchangeably. A separate cover 15, which also ts said llO socket-members' interchangeably, is provided. When the post is placed in working position, with its base-member seated in the socket-member 3, as at the left in Fig. 9, the cover 15 occupies the mouth of the socket-member 3 and closes the latter, as at the right in said figure. When it is desired to store away the post, it is removed from socket-member 3a, cover 15 is transferred to the latter, and the inverted post is housed in the socket-member 3 in the manner already explained in treating of Figs. llto 3. In some cases it will be possible to station the traHic-post in its upright working position in the auxiliary socket-member 3 of Fig. 9.

The construction shown in Fig. '10 is adapted to be shifted about from )lace to place, as required. It is adapted or temporary use in a given location, or for use in a location where it is not desired or possible to make an opening in the surface. lin such construction, the socket-member. designated 3", is not sunk in a roadway or the like, but is constructed to be placed upon the surface of a roadway, walk, pavement, or wherever else desired. It is suiiciently heavy to obviate overturning when the post proper is turned down by a passing vehicle.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a reversible construction employing a weight, in lieu o1 a spring, for actuating the }iost-n1e1nber. In these tigures, the post-member designated l, the base-member 2, and the socket-member 3". The post-member has a convex lower end which tits a concave bearing in one side of' the base-member 2L when the parts are in their working f)osiition shown in Fig. 11. A chain 16, attached by one extremity thereof to the center of the said convex lower end oi the post-member, extends through a central hole in the base-member, and has a weight 17 attached to its other end. In Fig. 11 the weight hangs suspended by the chain from the lower end of the post-member,.holding the convexity of said end to the concave seat in the upturned side of the hase-member 2". 'The effect of the weight is to cause the postmember to stand erect, but the post-member is permitted to swing down transversely in any direction when driven against. T he suspending weight operates to cause the postlnember to erect itself again after having been Jforced over transversely. Fig. 12 shows the post-member housed within the socketmember, the base-member 2c being reversely applied to its seat at the top of the socketmember. ln inverting the parts as in Fig. 12, the cylindrical body of weight 17 is allowed to pass downward within the central o )ening of the base-member until the flange 1 a upon one end of such weight occupies the counterbore 2x in the base-member. In Fig. 12 the top of the base-member is flush with the roadway, and the top of weight 17 is flush with that of the base-member. The

ring 17h that is shown looselyY connected with the weight 17 serves in lowering the parts into the socket piece and in li't'tng them out therefrom.

The general construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12 permits the base-member to be employed, it desired, as the cover of a manhole ol a sewer, conduit, or the like, in which case the weight in Fig. 11 and the post-member in Fig. 12 will hang suspended within the manhole.

Figs. 13 and 14 show a construction in which the foot 10d oi the lpost-member 1d has a circumferential projecting flange 10c which rests upon the top edge of the base-member 2, the latter being constituted by a short hollow cylinder removably occupying the upper portion ot' the socket-member 3d. The hody of the foot 10d extends down within the hase-member. A downward pull is exerted upon the fioot 10d, to hold its flange 1()c seated upon the top edge oit the sleevelike hase-member, by a contracting' spiral spring 11i having its upper end engaged with a. screw-eye 13d in connection with foot 10, and its lower end engaged with a hook in connection with the lower portion of a bai] 1 2d extending down from the base-ineinber. The spring holds the post-member and ioot to be rocked with the foot bearing upon the top edge oi' the base-member, and operate/s with a tendency to restore the postinember and i'oot to their erect position as soon as they are freed from the pressure which overturned them. As the post-meniber and foot are rocked downward the footinen'iber will partly slide or slip outward upon the said top edge until the shoulder 101' ol the iloot-niember engages with .such edge, which will prevent the ioot from slipping farther. As the iiost-meinher and toot return to their normal erect position under the action ot the spring l1, the shape of the foot will iause it to center itselt in'operlj; within the sleeve-like base-member.

l conteinlilate in some instances equipping` the post-member in the case oi each of the forms shown herein with a lamp or lamps, preferably either electric or acetylene, to serve as a signal at night. Fig. 13 shows a lamp 1S applied to the top oit post-member 1'5, and a second lamp 18a applied to the top of foot 10d. The walls of the post-member are made with openings, that are closed with transl'iarent or translucent material 1C, such openings serving as windows to permit the light to show through from within. In Figs. 13 and 111 the wires 19 leading to the lamp extend transversely through holes in the ground socket 3 and base-member 2(l and upward through a hole 191 in the foot 10, such holes being hushed with insulating materia] 19e. To accommodate the swinging movements of the post the wiring is made extensible hy l'noviding an excess length thereof to produce slack below the foot 10d as shown.

Post-members of traiiie-posts embodying .the invention may or will be provided with words or signs of a character to give the desired warning, direction, or other information.

What is claimed as the invention is 1'. A tratic post comprising a base-member having a post-centering upstanding portion surrounded byY a post-supporting portion, a post member fitting over the said upstanding portion, centered thereby, and resting upon said post-supporting portion, and means constantly urging the post-member toward said base-member and yieldingly holding the foot of the post-member to said supporting portion, thereby normally keeping the post-member erect while permitting it to tilt in dilierent directions.

2. A traffic-post comprising` in combination a post-member, a base-member on which the :toot of said post-member rests, a socketmeinber with which the said base-member is vremovably combined also adapted to receive the base-member and pest in reversed position, and means for yieldingly maintaining said post-member normally in an erect working position relative to said base-member, permitting it to yield without breakage when struck by a passing vehicle to permit a Vehicle to pass over it, and automatically restoring it to the said working position when the vehicle has passed, all constructed and arranged to permit the base-member and post-member to be reversed and the postmember supported or housed in the socketmember. 3. ln combination, a traiiic-post member, a base in connection therewith, and a socketmember in which said traiic-post member may be completely housed in inverted position, said base forming a closure tor the socket-member when the post-member is thus housed.

et. A trahie-post comprising, in combination, a base-member and a post-member, one

thereof having a centering boss that enters the other, said post-member having a radially-extending foot engaging with an annular supporting bearing on the other, and means for holding said post-member normally in an erect Working position, permitting it to swing when struck by a passing vehicle, and automatically restoring it to erect position again.

5. A traiiic post comprising a ground socket-member, a base-member detachably mounted in said ground socket-member, a post movably connected to said base-member, and resilient means tor maintaining said post in a normal position.

6. A traffic post comprising a ground socket-member, a base-member detachably mounted in said ground socket-member, a post movably connected to said base-member, and resilient means extending between said base member and said post t'or maintaining said post in a normal position.

7. In a street post, a ground socket, a base-member detachably mounted in said ground socket, a post, a lamp carried by said post, means for resiliently connecting said post to said base-member, and extensible supply conducting means for said lamp colnbined with said elements.

8. A tratiic regulator comprising a iixed base platean upwardly extending eonoidal centering member secured thereupon, a tubular semaphore post positioned over said centering member and normally standing in a vertical position upon the base plate, and a resilient connection between the post and centering member whereby the post may have yieldable radial movement in relation to the centering member and upon the base plate.

In testimony whereof I ai'iix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL HANNAGi-XN.

lVitnesses CEAS. F. RANDALL, ELLEN O. SPRING. 

